Remembering Asaph Schwapp

"We Lost A Great Ambassador," Weaver Coach Says

May 10, 2013

Anyone who saw Asaph Schwapp address a group of kids or teenagers knew he had a future in coaching. In fact, Weaver High football coach Kevin Quinn said in an email that he always reminded Schwapp that he kept a spot on his staff open for the program's prized alum. Asaph, who spoke to Quinn's team last fall, said he wanted to get healthy and figure out his work schedule as a financial adviser before committing to coaching. Schwapp, who died Wednesday after battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, would have been a good coach. "I know that I speak for the entire Weaver community," Quinn said. "We lost a great ambassador to Weaver High School, but more importantly, an even better person." A service for Schwapp will be held Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the Carmon Funeral Home in Windsor (viewing from 9-11 a.m., with the family arriving at 10 a.m.). The public is welcome at the funeral home. Burial at Bloomfield's Mountain View Cemetery will follow.

•The finalists for the Hart Trophy, awarded to the NHL MVP, are Sidney Crosby of the Penguins, Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals and John Tavares of the Islanders. Crosby (15 goals, 41 assists) won the award in 2007. Ovechkin (league-leading 32 goals) won in 2008 and 2009. Tavares (28 goals) is a first-time finalist after leading the Islanders to their first playoff appearance in six years. At 22, he'll have plenty more chances to win the Hart. Bet he'll win the award when he's playing his home games in Brooklyn.

•Celtics president Danny Ainge told WEEI in Boston that he expects Doc Rivers and Kevin Garnett to be back next season. Rivers, Ainge said, always needs time to unwind after the season and decide on the future, so it's no sure thing that he'll return. But he just completed the second year of a five-year contract and Ainge believes he'll be back. As for a rumor reported by ESPN's Stephen A. Smith about a potential trade that would send Rivers, Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Clippers for a package that includes Blake Griffin, Ainge used the word "silly" and said "those are a waste of time to even acknowledge." … In another WEEI interview, Curt Schilling said he — like Clay Buchholz — also used sunscreen to help improve his grip on the ball. But it's not cheating, Schilling said. "You cheat by getting the ball moist and wet," Schilling said. "If that was what Clay was trying to do, he would have been doing the opposite ... you want the ball to be slick. You want it to be almost like ... not spit, but water. He was actually using that stuff to keep a grip."

• Geno Smith completed 6 of 10 passes in 11-on-11 drills and 11 of 15 in 7-on-7 drills during the Jets' first day of rookie minicamp Friday. Sounds good, but Geno has high expectations for himself. Asked by reporters for his assessment, Smith said "It's an F." And by the way, he also said he's moved past all of the pre-draft critiques and said it was more of an eventful few weeks for the media. If he's going to succeed in New York, ignoring criticism is a sound approach. … Rutgers seems to be limping to the Big Ten. The school has barely put the Mike Rice abuse scandal behind it, and there's another controversy percolating. Deadspin reports that Rice's replacement, Eddie Jordan, did not graduate from Rutgers. Jordan played for Rutgers in the 1970s and has been described by the school as a graduate, but he never earned a degree. The folks running New Jersey's state university can't get out of their own way.